ALMOST £40,000 has been raised for Cancer Research UK - and some will go towards trials at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

Members of the Cancer Research UK committee in the town handed a cheque for £37,500 to the charity after various fundraising throughout 2012.

Cash was raised through coffee mornings, collection buckets, fashion shows and other events and will go towards research trials at the hospital.

Chairman of the group Ann Jeffery said: "We would like to thank the people of Taunton Deane who helped us raise such a fantastic amount of money.

"Some of this money will help towards the clinical trials of new cancer treatments being carried out at Musgrove Park Hospital.

"The fight against cancer is gradually being won by the ground-breaking research into new treatments of all types of cancers and this substantial amount with undoubtedly held in the continuing battle against this disease."

Pictured is the charity’s Taunton committee with, front row from left, Dr Malcolm Phillips, Cancer Research area volunteer Dawn Harrison and Somerset patron Oliver Howard.